To listen to Nancy’s answer recorded from Moody radio, click below.


 

With all the issues facing the Christian community today, who would think the controversy would come from the pro-transgender movement over preferred personal pronouns? Pronouns are words like he, him, his, she, her, and hers. They are used to describe the nature of reality. Sex is binary by nature; there are men, and there are women. They are biologically and genetically different from one another. Male and female beings are God’s design for all humanity. Yes, they matter!

“This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them” (Genesis 5:1,2). 

The battle over genders is between reality and personal preferences. Those who embrace this movement choose their “preferred pronouns” and expect people to refer to them in that way. A woman by birth can ask people to refer to her as “he, them, it, or xi, xim, or xer”. This movement is nothing more than a secularist attack against God and His creation. 

God calls us to be loving and caring to all people. Should we then use their preferred pronouns? From a scientific and biblical perspective, that answer would be “NO,” it is not an option; to do so would be embracing a lie. In reality, a baby born is identified officially as a girl or a boy. God did not ask His humanity to weigh in on God’s assignments of sex. To use wrong pronouns is dishonest, hypocritical, and unbiblical. Our moral obligation, as Christians, is to speak the truth, no matter what. We must stand firm and not do it in an unloving, cruel, or condemning way. 

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20).

Some Christians believe that it is unloving and unkind to refuse to consent to the pressure that results in embracing a lie. They think that it is a poor witness to ignore their request to be called what they are not because of the stress it might cause. Others do not believe it is a big deal and will acknowledge them according to their desires. What is missing with these people is that loving people is about extending grace and kindness but not to the point of lying to them. As image-bearers of God, we should not sin by lying to make people feel good about themselves. Extending love and respectfully disagreeing is what we need to do. It is interesting that research is now revealing that most transitioners regret their choice of transition to the opposite sex.

In light of this, when talking with friends, we need to make it very clear that we love them and have their best interests at heart. We can choose to disagree and still be friends, but we owe an explanation of why we believe the way we do.  

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:14-17).

The bottom line of this issue is speaking the truth, no matter the circumstance. We must, as believers, be willing to speak truth to our friends, in love, when they ask. In discussions with transgender people, I am often asked if becoming a transgender person is a sin. My answer is “’yes” because they are made in the image of God. To undermine what God made is a sin. There are many sins that all humans commit. A few of them are lying, swearing, having sex before marriage, pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, and gluttony. Here is the good news, God loves all who sin and extended forgiveness when He died on the cross to pay the penalty of all of our sins. That is why we call Him “Savior”. When we believe that he died and rose again for our sins, we are forgiven and will live forever with Him in Heaven. Once we believe, God gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us. Through Him, we will have the opportunity for a new life filled with love and purpose. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned” (John 3:16-18).